Coity Castle

-11th Century (Ringwork Fort)

After the Norman conquest of England, King William sought to consolidate his control over the area by appointing key magnates to occupy the areas that bordered Wales. Over several decades, these magnates forged lordships and came to be known as Marcher Lords. Robert Fitzhamon, Baron of Gloucester, and his followers built a series of fortifications, including Coity, to create a barrier between the native Welsh and the Normans.

1092

Payn de Turberville, one of Robert's followers, built the first Coity Castle. Payn was one of the twelve knights of Glamorgan who carried out the conquest of Glamorgan. However, Robert failed to grant Payn territory for his endeavours. Payn decided to claim his stake and seized the lands around Coity. 

Morgan ap Meurig, the Welsh lord of the area, made a strategic move and offered his daughter's hand in marriage to prevent a possible defeat. Payn became lord of Coity and commenced work on the Coity Castle in the form of an earth and wood ringworks fortification. 

Unlike the motte and bailey structures of the time, the ringwork structure is a means to overcome the unique geology of the Vale of Glamorgan terrain. A thick shelf of limestone with only a thin layer of soil made sourcing materials challenging to create a motte, so the ringwork formation was the practical solution. 

-1180

Sir Gilbert de Turberville, Lord of Coity, conducted extensive stone upgrades on the Coity Castle. These upgrades included a stone keep and a curtain wall to protect the inner ward enclosed a roughly oval ground area. The Tuberville's retained control over Coity Castle for the next 200 years.

-14th Century

The Tuberville's conducted extensive modifications in the 14th century, adding a domestic range attachment to the keep by the central gatehouse. They also replaced the timber floors with new stone vaults, of which the octagonal pier is still prominent in the Coity Castle ruins. Simultaneously, the Tuibervilles replaced the ramparts of the outer bailey and replaced them in stone. 

-1404-1405

The Tuberville male line of succession came to an end in the late 1300s, and the castle changed hands to Sir Lawrence Berkerolles. Berkerolles conducted extensive upgrades on Coity Castle and resisted the sieges by Owain Glyndŵr in 1404-1405. However, the castle was severely damaged by these attacks and remained in a poor state until Berkerolle died in 1411.

-1411 (Siege)

Lady Joan Verney, the daughter of Margaret de Turbeville, took occupancy of Coity Castle in a dispute of ownership between herself and William Gamage. William claimed the right to the castle and lands due to his marriage to the youngest sister of Richard de Turbeville, which had produced male offspring. Lady Joan Verney was a single widow with no male heirs, so her claim to Coity was tenuous at best. 

Gamage gathered his forces and besieged Lady Verney in the castle, contrary to the King's wishes, and the royal troops imprisoned Gamage and his collaborators in the Tower of London. Released in 1413, Gamage reclaimed his rightful inheritance and conducted extensive repairs. These upgrades included a chapel over the great hall and a large barn against the south wall of the outer bailey. They also converted one of the wall towers into a gatehouse.

-15th Century (Siege)

Owain Glyndŵr laid siege to the castle during an uprising against English rule.

-1584

Barbara Gamage, the heir to Coity Castle, married Sir Robert Sydney, Earl of Leicester. The Sydney's conducted extensive remodelling to make Coity more habitable, including grand windows and several fireplaces. However, Coity was somewhat removed from the social and political arenas of the time, and the Sydneys moved from the castle to Penshurst Place in Kent. From this time, the castle fell into neglect and decay. 

-1800s

Historical records referred to the Coity Castle as ruinous in the 19th century.